If you don't have a pair of headphones, I strongly suggest that this week or next you invest in a pair.
You don't need an iPod or even portable CD player to attach them to and the pair need not be expensive, just a standard Wal-Mart $5 pair. They only need to last the next five weeks or so.
I would also advise rerouting your daily walk to and from classes away from large public areas including but not limited to Turlington Plaza, the Plaza of the Americas and anywhere near Anderson and Matherly halls.
Taken together, these defensive measures should insulate you from the barrage of fliers, political posturing and free pencils that await you over the course of the next four to five weeks.
Indeed, it is the most wonderful time of the year for UF students as Student Government elections are gearing up. For the uninitiated (that's you, freshmen), the next five weeks will be unlike anything you have ever experienced. Around every corner of campus, an SG flier or elevator speech awaits to ambush you between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, including lunch breaks. It is almost impossible to avoid this broadside of fake smiles and politicking, but by taking the measures suggested above, you can significantly increase your chances of escaping this ordeal unscathed.
To be fair, it does seem a bit hypocritical of me to be complaining about how bothersome SG elections can be when just last spring I was one of the army of orange, blue and red waiting to greet your during your daily commute through campus, armed with a plastic grin and a handful of stickers. However it seems that this election is going to be particularly dirty and bitterly contested, if the letters and guest columns in the Alligator and the speeches in Student Senate are any indication of the months to come.
I should also point out that my criticism is not limited to a single political party of grouping; every party and member is and will be guilty of political pandering to the students, myself most likely included. But that certainly doe not mean you have to blindly accept it. It certainly may be important to you to vote and be informed, and by all means please do so. However, the glossy fliers and free pencils that will come to litter Turlington Plaza do not aid in the political education process. Don't be afraid to do your own research and find out for yourself about the parties' platforms and voting records.
So while this brown-nosing is to be expected in any election at any level from SG to the United States presidential election, it is also important to be able to cut through what is B.S. and what is true. But since that is becoming increasingly impossible in SG elections, the better strategy may be to keep your head down and ears covered.
Kyle Robisch is a political science and economics junior. His column appears weekly.
